The Indiana State sentinel., 1887-04-06
nCHANCE" MEN.

Inc gamblers oil france -''tne sporting
men," to put it mildly-are demonstrating
against the order of the Council" sup
pressing "book-making stands" that is,
betting places and open betting, and are
backed by a considerable section OF re-
spectacle and moral influence. The resist
ance is based mainly on the assumption
probably sound one-that racing is indis-
pensable to the improvement of horses,
and betting is indispensable to the interest
and maintenance of racing. So, if the &C
QUESTION and general diffusion of good
breeds of horses be desirable, racing and
betting must be permitted. One argument
against the order of suppression is that
betting can't be prevented except in the
public prosecution Of its schemes, and lit
tie good can come of that while public
gambling of greater evil in every way is toll
Grated and even commended. '"The book
makers" trade is no more dishonorable or
disgraceful than the ''stock- brokers'" it is
urged. Gambling in racing pools or by
''odds'' on select horses, is no more de-
moralizing than gambling in wheat 'cor-
ners' or railway stocks. Here the ''book.
makers of the race course have the ad-
vantage.
Whatever tnay be the moral quality of
taking chances Ia q race, it is no worse
than taking chances on fluctuations in
grain or changes in stocks, and no better
than backing chances with cash in faro or
poker. The basis of every form of gambling
is precisely the same, balance of chances
and stakes. General Beauregard's L)uisi-
ana lottery sells a chance for S. that may
win $50, 1000, but there is only one chance in
ten of winning anything, and not one in
10000 of winning the big prize. Two poker
players have equal chances and usually
make equal stakes. Two racing gamblers
bet even or give "odds," according to their
estimate of the ability of the horses in the
race. The more the chances the bigger the
stake. The stock or grain gambler in effect
bets on rise or fall, and bets higher-that
is, buys more-accordiDg as the chances of
winning appear safe or shaky. or the
whole list of black-legs, from the stock
broker to the lottery fool, the worst is the
most respectable in social standing and the
least accessible by law, the black-leg of the
Stock or Grain Exchange. So the French
remonstrants are logically and morally
right. But that is all of it. Their being
right and the suppression logically incon-
sistent won't affect the order at all. No
man ever changed present opinion or de-
termination for proof that he held exactly
a contrary opinion little while before, and
had no more reason to change it than he
has to change back to it. Inconsistency
exposed may annoy individual conceit,
but it never made or changed conviction
and never baked any action of an individ-
ual or party. So it is quite safe to assume
that the suppression of race gambling will
not be revoked, and that stock gambling
will continue to be tolerated if not encour-
aged.
There is something queer in the relations
of law to immoral practices. France has
been held undulY tolerant of vicious in.
dulgences OF all kinds for centuries, but
France refuses to allow public betting on
her race-courses. England was once con-
been permiated, by Puritan sentiment
that endured no public exhibitions of an
immoral or equivocai character. Bat
England puts no restraint on the book
makers" Of EPSON or Doncaster, and bet
ting is as lively and public there as the APP
plause at theater OF the cheering of pro-
cession on the street. In tins country the
spirit of the Pilgrims has moulded most of
the legislation affecting morals and relig-
ious relations of community, and every
State probably-Indiana certainly-has
statutory popular provision against betting
on races, elections and other subjects Of
wageIs. But who doesn't know that
in Indiana it is quite as safe
and practically lawful to bet on an elec-
tioD, boxing or billiard match, horse
thing whatever that allows the possibility
of doing or not doing any given thing, or
reaching or not reaching any special re-
sult as IL is to buy cigar or "tip" a
waiter. Immoral France suppresses public
betting; Puritan America legislates against
to rot In the statute book, while the living
offeDse frolics in all sorts of public places
and diversions. Judge Gresham declared
some years ago from the Federal Court
bench that specializing in grain or stock,
where no money and no securities or
grain passes, was gambling, contrary to
good morals and public policy, and the
contracts in aid of it were void. The
stamp of the blaekleg was put upon the
whole business by the best legal authority
in the land. The pulpit deneunces it, the
press censures it, the law indirectly con-
demns 1t. but no honorable occupation
AOurishes so vigorously or defes the reput-
able sentiment of community with such
lofty indifference. The worst gamblers in
indianapolis are not about the dens OF
North Illinois street, any more than the
worst men in Jerusalem were under the
falling tower Of Sloan.
NO CHANGE IN A HUNDRED YEARS.